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Mr Fletcher said the three Australians were each held for "a matter of weeks" during the past year.

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs only found out after they were released.

"Those three individuals are now back in Australia, so they're okay," Mr Fletcher told the committee.

Embassy officials have been lobbying the Chinese government on behalf of two Australians with family members in the camps.

"In some cases we have, at their request, passed information on to the Chinese government about them," Mr Fletcher told the committee.

But Australian diplomats based in Beijing have been refused access to the region.

One case involves an individual with a family member in the camps. Another involves an Australian with about 35 relatives and friends being detained.

In both cases, they were unable to contact their relatives, and asked for Australia's help in tracking them down.

Beijing shot down the requests.

"The response was that we haven't supplied sufficient information," Mr Fletcher said.

Diplomats are now plotting the next steps.

Australian embassy officials were previously able to visit Xinjiang from time to time.

However, their approvals have been refused for the past 18 months.

"We continue to express to the Chinese government our interest in the situation in Xinjiang, our concerns about the situation there, and our interest in conducting a visit to Xinjiang," Mr Fletcher said.

Other nations have also been denied access to the region.

Mr Fletcher likened the situation to Tibet, which diplomats have been trying to visit without success.